John Basilone: From Guadalcanal to Iwo Jima

John Basilone had already done more than his country could reasonably ask of one Marine.

He had survived Guadalcanal, held his position against a Japanese assault and received the Medal of Honor. The Marine Corps brought him home and sent him across the country as a celebrated war hero.

He could have remained in the United States selling war bonds and training other Marines.

Instead, Basilone repeatedly asked to return to combat.

On February 19, 1945, Gunnery Sgt. John Basilone landed on Iwo Jima with a machine-gun section of the 5th Marine Division. Before the day was over, he had once again exposed himself to enemy fire to help his Marines advance.

This time, he would not come home.

From New Jersey to the Philippines

John Basilone was born in Buffalo, New York, on November 4, 1916. He was one of 10 children in an Italian American family and grew up in Raritan, New Jersey.

Basilone attended school through the eighth grade before going to work. At 18, he enlisted in the United States Army.

The Army sent him to the Philippines, where he served for approximately three years. Basilone became known for his physical strength and reportedly developed a reputation as a skilled boxer.

His service in the Philippines later earned him the nickname “Manila John.”

After completing his Army enlistment, Basilone returned to the United States and worked as a truck driver in Maryland. Civilian life did not hold him for long.

In July 1940, with war already spreading across Europe and Asia, Basilone enlisted in the United States Marine Corps.

He reportedly hoped the Marines would send him back to the Philippines.

Instead, the Corps eventually sent him to Guadalcanal.

America Takes the Offensive

Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, bringing the United States into World War II.

During the following months, Japan captured territory across the Pacific. American forces suffered defeats in the Philippines, Guam and Wake Island.

In August 1942, the 1st Marine Division landed on Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. It was the first major American ground offensive against Japan.

The objective was an unfinished Japanese airfield. If completed, the airfield could threaten the supply routes connecting the United States with Australia.

Marines captured the airfield and renamed it Henderson Field in honor of Maj. Lofton Henderson, a Marine aviator killed during the Battle of Midway.

The Japanese responded by sending troops, aircraft and warships to retake the island.

For the Marines defending Guadalcanal, the campaign became a desperate struggle against enemy attacks, tropical disease, hunger and exhaustion.

Sgt. John Basilone served with Dog Company, 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, under Lt. Col. Lewis “Chesty” Puller.

He was in charge of a section of heavy, water-cooled Browning machine guns.

The Battle for Henderson Field

During the night of October 24–25, 1942, Japanese forces launched a major attack against the Marine perimeter protecting Henderson Field.

The main assault struck positions held by Puller’s 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, and soldiers of the Army’s 164th Infantry Regiment.

Rain fell across the battlefield as thousands of Japanese troops moved through the jungle. They attacked repeatedly, attempting to break through the American lines and reach the airfield.

Basilone’s machine-gun section occupied a critical portion of the Marine position.

The Browning M1917A1 was a powerful weapon, but it required ammunition, water and a crew to remain in action. The gun fired from belts containing hundreds of rounds and used a water-filled jacket around the barrel to prevent overheating.

During a sustained battle, ammunition disappeared rapidly. The weapon had to be maintained even while enemy troops were attacking.

The Japanese assault struck Basilone’s position with overwhelming force.

Holding the Line

Japanese troops attacked in waves, cutting through sections of wire and attempting to overrun the machine guns.

Basilone moved between positions under intense fire, directing his Marines and keeping the guns operating. When one machine gun became disabled, he repaired it and returned it to action.

As ammunition ran low, Basilone fought his way through enemy-held ground to bring additional belts forward.

He carried heavy boxes of ammunition back to the guns while Japanese soldiers moved around and behind the Marine positions.

At one point, Basilone manned a machine gun largely by himself. He continued firing until the weapon malfunctioned and then used his pistol against Japanese troops who had reached the position.

According to Marines who fought beside him, Basilone remained at his guns for nearly three days with little food, water or rest.

Japanese bodies covered the area in front of his position. One fellow Marine later credited Basilone with killing 38 enemy soldiers using his machine gun and pistol.

The exact number mattered less than the result.

The line held.

The Japanese failed to capture Henderson Field.

The Medal of Honor

Basilone received the Medal of Honor for his actions at Guadalcanal.

His citation described how he moved through enemy fire to supply and repair his machine guns while Japanese troops attacked his position. It praised his courage, initiative and determination in helping stop the enemy assault.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt presented the medal to Basilone at the White House in May 1943.

For the Marine Corps, he became a symbol of the fighting on Guadalcanal.

For Basilone, the attention was uncomfortable.

He consistently redirected praise toward the Marines who had fought beside him, including those who had not survived.

He understood that his medal represented a battle fought by an entire unit.

America’s Newest Hero

The United States needed heroes.

The war was being fought across several continents, and victory remained far from certain. The government required enormous amounts of money to build ships, aircraft, tanks and weapons.

Basilone was sent on a nationwide war-bond tour.

Americans packed auditoriums and public events to see the Marine hero from Guadalcanal. His photograph appeared in newspapers and magazines. He spoke to crowds, participated in parades and encouraged civilians to purchase bonds.

In September 1943, Raritan held a homecoming celebration known as Basilone Day.

Thousands of people crowded the streets. Bands played, politicians delivered speeches and residents celebrated the local Marine who had become a national hero.

The attention could have provided Basilone with a safe path through the remainder of the war.

He had already fought. He had already risked his life. His Medal of Honor made him extremely valuable on the home front.

But Basilone did not believe that was where he belonged.

“I’m Staying With My Boys”

Basilone wanted to return to the operating forces.

He reportedly turned down an opportunity to become an officer. He also rejected the idea that he should spend the rest of the war making public appearances.

Basilone repeatedly requested assignment to a combat unit. The Marine Corps initially resisted because he was more valuable—and much safer—as a national symbol.

Eventually, his request was approved.

Basilone reported to Camp Pendleton, California, where the newly organized 5th Marine Division was preparing for combat.

He joined Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 27th Marines, as a machine-gun section leader.

Basilone was now an experienced combat veteran surrounded by Marines who had never been under fire. He trained them in the use of their weapons and attempted to prepare them for the conditions they would face.

He could not know exactly where the division was going, but he knew the Marines would soon enter combat.

That was enough.

Lena

While stationed at Camp Pendleton, Basilone met Sgt. Lena Mae Riggi, a Marine serving in the Marine Corps Women’s Reserve.

Lena had enlisted in 1943 and was assigned to Camp Pendleton. She and Basilone met while he was training with the 5th Marine Division.

They married on July 10, 1944, at St. Mary Star of the Sea Church in Oceanside, California.

Their time together was brief.

Basilone soon departed with the 5th Marine Division for Hawaii and then the western Pacific. The division trained for an amphibious assault against a heavily fortified Japanese island.

Before leaving, Basilone gave Lena a photograph of himself.

She would later remember that he knew he might not return.

Why Iwo Jima Mattered

Iwo Jima was a small volcanic island approximately 750 miles south of Japan.

Its location made it strategically important. Japanese radar stations on the island warned the home islands when American bombers were approaching. Japanese fighter aircraft could also use its airfields.

American planners believed capturing Iwo Jima would eliminate that threat and provide emergency landing fields for damaged B-29 bombers returning from raids over Japan.

The island appeared small enough to capture quickly.

A massive naval and air bombardment struck Iwo Jima before the invasion, leading some Marines to believe little could have survived.

Japanese Gen. Tadamichi Kuribayashi had prepared a different kind of defense.

Instead of attempting to stop the landing at the waterline, Japanese troops constructed miles of tunnels, underground rooms, caves and reinforced bunkers. Artillery and machine guns were concealed throughout the island.

The defenders intended to allow the Marines to crowd onto the beaches before opening fire.

On February 19, 1945, the 4th and 5th Marine Divisions began landing. The 3rd Marine Division would later join them.

Basilone came ashore with the 27th Marines.

Landing in Hell

The beaches of Iwo Jima were covered with soft volcanic ash.

Wheeled vehicles became stuck. Marines carrying heavy packs and weapons struggled to climb the terraces leading away from the water.

Japanese artillery, mortars and machine guns opened fire after the landing beaches became crowded with men and equipment.

Shells destroyed landing craft and vehicles. Marines searching for protection discovered that the volcanic ash made it difficult to dig fighting holes.

Basilone’s machine-gun section became pinned down by fire from a Japanese blockhouse.

Once again, he moved forward while other Marines were forced to remain under cover.

Basilone’s Final Battle

Basilone worked his way around the Japanese position and attacked it with grenades and demolition charges.

After destroying the blockhouse, he continued leading his Marines inland.

Near Airfield No. 1, enemy fire stopped a Marine tank moving through a minefield. Basilone exposed himself to direct fire and helped guide the vehicle through the dangerous area.

The tank’s weapons could then be used against Japanese defensive positions blocking the Marine advance.

Basilone continued moving forward with his machine gunners.

At some point near the edge of the airfield, an enemy mortar round exploded.

Fragments struck Basilone and several Marines around him.

Gunnery Sgt. John Basilone was killed on the first day of the Battle of Iwo Jima. He was 28 years old.

Confusion Over His Death

War rarely leaves behind a perfectly clear account.

Some early reports suggested Basilone had been killed by machine-gun fire. Later testimony and battlefield evidence indicated that a mortar explosion caused his death.

There were also differences in descriptions of his exact actions and location.

What was never disputed was that Basilone had again placed himself under enemy fire while leading Marines forward.

He had destroyed a fortified position, helped a tank cross dangerous ground and continued directing his machine-gun section during one of the most violent amphibious landings in Marine Corps history.

For his actions on Iwo Jima, Basilone was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross—the nation’s second-highest decoration for valor.

He also received the Purple Heart.

Basilone became the only enlisted Marine of World War II to receive both the Med